They are inexpensive and very nutritious. Pinto beans are high in fiber, magnesium and potassium and can be purchased at any grocery store for around $1-2 a pound.

Most people purchase their refried beans pre-made in a can. While this is definitely an option, I think the homemade version tastes so much better and you can control the amount of salt in your own homemade refried beans.

My kids absolutely love refried beans. When you make your own refried beans you can also control the amount of salt in the recipe, which is great for people on a low sodium diet.

We prefer our beans with only salt and a little butter or fat added, but you can also add chopped onion and garlic to your beans to suit your taste preferences.

These Gluten-Free Oatmeal Pancakes are one of the the most hearty pancakes I have yet to make. They have made their way into our pre-hiking repertoire for their packability and ability to satiate!

I discovered this recipe years ago in a newspaper and had to work on making it allergy friendly. Necessity is always the mother of invention.

The egg free version is slightly denser but still great. You get to decide what to serve these with – the walnut butter is a special treat! While I love the tangy flavor of buttermilk, the end product is just as good with the dairy free version. Again, you decide!

Soaking the oats in an acidic medium makes them more easily digestible, and your body can get at all those nutrients better. But I have also provided directions for making these fresh with no leftover oatmeal.

The night before (or up to 2 days) either prepare your oatmeal or place the oats and buttermilk into a bowl. Cover and let sit overnight. This is also a good time to make the walnut butter.

The next morning, mix in the eggs, vanilla, sugar. and oil to combine. If you used leftover oatmeal, you will need to add a touch of any preferred milk to get the desired batter consistency. I used about ½ cup.

Whisk together the dry ingredients, then incorporate into the wet. This will be a thick pancake batter consistency.

In a greased, preheated pan over medium low heat, pour about 3 tablespoons batter into the pan. When bubbles begin to form evenly and the bottom is golden, flip and cook the other side. Repeat with the remaining batter, serve with the walnut butter if you like.

For the Walnut Butter

Combine the butter, sugar, walnuts and vanilla, mixing thoroughly.

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]]>http://thehappyhousewife.com/cooking/oatmeal-pancakes-gluten-free-walnut-butter/feed/3How to Tell if You Have a Rotten Egghttp://thehappyhousewife.com/cooking/how-to-tell-if-you-have-a-rotten-egg/
http://thehappyhousewife.com/cooking/how-to-tell-if-you-have-a-rotten-egg/#commentsThu, 12 Mar 2015 11:00:01 +0000http://thehappyhousewife.com/cooking/?p=17420When we returned from vacation the eggs in the fridge had passed their “sell by” date. I was pretty sure they were still good, but wanted to make sure before I fed them to the kids.

This easy test will determine if your egg is good enough to eat, or it is time to toss.

Submerge your egg in water. If the egg is fresh it will sink to the bottom. If it floats to the top throw it out. If it sits somewhere in the middle eat it today!

The reason a fresh egg sinks is because it has a very small air pocket inside the shell. As time goes on the fluid inside the shell evaporates and more gases fill the shell causing it to float.

A good homemade dinner is easy to serve with this Crock Pot Beef Stew with Chickpeas recipe. You just throw it all together in the slow cooker, set the dial, and it’s perfectly cooked at meal time.

All the veggies in this dish really meld flavors well so that the kids don’t find the flavors too strong or overpowering. The chickpeas keep their amazing texture while the meat melts in your mouth.

My favorite part about this recipe is that I almost always have all the ingredients on hand. When beef stew meat goes on sale, I stock up. Then I pick up a jar of gravy, and I’m ready for an easy meal that is prepped in minutes.

I really think the secret ingredient is the Worcestershire sauce. It adds richness and boldness to the stew and really highlights the savory meat.

This hearty stew is a hit with the whole family. It's got the perfect combination of vegetables and beef along with the extra boost of protein from the chickpeas.

Ingredients

1½ - 2 pounds beef stew meat

1 jar Heinz Homestyle Gravy

1 can garbanzo beans, drained

1 white or yellow onion, peeled and chopped

3 stalks celery, diced

12 ounce bag of baby carrots

¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

Add all ingredients to the slow cooker.

Use empty gravy jar and fill with water. Add the water to the slow cooker.

Cover and cook on high for 4 - 6 hours (or low for 6 - 8 hours).

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]]>http://thehappyhousewife.com/cooking/crock-pot-beef-stew-with-chickpeas/feed/0Homemade Granolahttp://thehappyhousewife.com/cooking/granola/
http://thehappyhousewife.com/cooking/granola/#commentsFri, 27 Feb 2015 13:00:46 +0000http://thehappyhousewife.com/?p=9639I grew up on homemade granola. I had no idea that you could even buy it at the store until I was an adult.

Then I saw how much granola cost and realized that homemade granola tastes better, is healthier (less sugar!), and is much cheaper!

You can make this recipe gluten free by taking out the wheat germ and using gluten free oats.

Spread the mixture out evenly and bake it at 375° for 10 minutes. It will be a golden brown color.

Remove from the oven and let cool.

Store in an airtight container.

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This recipe is so easy, it only takes about 5 minutes on the stove top and then another 10-15 in the oven.

Homemade granola makes a great homemade gift, package it in glass jars and tie a pretty ribbon on around the top. If you’re feeling generous attach a copy of the recipe too! Your friends and family will thank you for it!

Savor the chocolatey goodness of this Quick and Easy Chocolate Mousse Dessert. The mousse is served on top of flaky puff pastry and topped with fresh raspberries and a drizzle of homemade chocolate sauce.

Set the puff pastry and cream cheese on the counter for 30 minutes to bring closer to room temperature.

For the Pastry

Heat oven to 400 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat.

On lightly floured surface, unfold pastry sheet and smooth out the seams with a wet finger.

Use a floured cookie cutter to cut out shapes from the pastry. Place at least an inch apart on the baking sheet.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes until the dough is puffed and golden brown. Remove to cooling rack immediately and cool completely before topping.

For the Mousse

In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, cream, vanilla, and cocoa powder. Mix together and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.

Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to whip the mixture until it is much lighter in color and almost 50% thicker in volume.

For the Chocolate Drizzle

In a microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate morsels and coconut oil. Microwave on high for 45 seconds and stir. If the chocolate is not completely melted, return to microwave and heat on high another 10 - 15 seconds and stir again until smooth.

Assembly

Place the pastry on a dish.

Top with mousse. I piped mine through a makeshift decorating bag made with two sandwich bags and a piping tip.

Top with raspberries and drizzle with chocolate sauce.

Notes

Do not try to use all the dough by rerolling the pastry after it's been rolled out and cut the first time. Discard that extra dough because rerolling it will make it uneven and lumpy when it bakes. There will be extra pastry pieces for other recipes or extra servings.

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]]>http://thehappyhousewife.com/cooking/quick-easy-chocolate-mousse-dessert/feed/0Fudgy Brownies: Gluten Free with Paleo and Egg Free Optionshttp://thehappyhousewife.com/cooking/fudgy-brownies-gluten-free-paleo-egg-free/
http://thehappyhousewife.com/cooking/fudgy-brownies-gluten-free-paleo-egg-free/#commentsWed, 04 Feb 2015 14:00:58 +0000http://thehappyhousewife.com/cooking/?p=26478
I had a lot of fun playing with this decadent gluten-free fudgy brownie recipe. It is deep, rich, and utterly satisfying to even the most fiendish chocoholics.

This recipe is very easy to play with and adapt for almost any special diet or restriction.

Flour: With so little flour in this recipe, almost any flour will do! Each one will change the end product, but every version I tried was delicious.

Fat: The fat options are up to personal tastes and preference as well. I tested them with coconut oil, ghee, and palm shortening. Earth Balance would work too.

Sugar: You could use all organic cane sugar, all palm sugar, a mixture of the two, or cut it down a bit and use some stevia. I used one cup, which is plenty sweet for me and all my testers, but YOU taste it and add a bit more or less if you like.

Eggs: The eggs can be replaced in this too. Albeit it yields a different end result that is completely addicting and fudgelicious (okay, so that is not a word), but the egg free version is literally like a decadent piece of real fudge. Half my taste testers preferred the egg free version in fact, half the one with the eggs. But all agreed…both were delicious!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line an 8 x 8 inch pan with a parchment paper.

In a small saucepan over low heat (or in a microwave), melt the fat, sugar, and cocoa powder together, stirring vigorously until a glossy, gritty mixture is formed. Mixture should be warm, but not scalding hot.

Stir in the vanilla and sea salt.

Stir in the flour.

Now stir in the eggs, or the egg alternative.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool completely, in the fridge if you like, before attempting to cut. The magic happens in the cooling, I promise!

Notes

Use a great tasting cocoa powder. It is a key ingredient; I love Dagoba

The following is a guest post from Sara. If you are looking for a gluten-free pizza option try this zucchini crust pizza. Or if you can convince your kids to eat green pizza this is a great way to get them to eat more veggies!

I don’t eat enough veggies. Period. But I LOVE pizza! I’ve seen all these cauliflower pizzas floating around, but I am not a fan of that stuff. So, when I heard someone mention zucchini crust pizza, I thought I would be up for trying it.

Let me also say, I hate cooking. So, if I can do this, anyone can! Plus, I have made pizza crust out of pre-packaged stuff, and this didn’t really take any more time than those.

Once all the zucchini is nice and shredded, you want to wrap it up in your cheese cloth or towel. Ring out as much water as you can.

When you think you are done, try again.

Once you have drained it all, transfer to a bowl and microwave for 2 minutes.

Add two eggs, garlic, and ¼ a cup of cheese.

Mix well. (You could add other spices or seasonings if you would like.)

Lightly oil a baking sheet or use a pizza stone.

Set the zucchini mixture on and using your hands, flatten.

Be sure not to get too thin.

Bake in oven for about 10 minutes (or until just starting starting to lightly brown) at 450 degrees. Remove from oven and layer sauce, toppings, and cheese.

Place back in oven for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

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Sara’s notes: She did not have a cheese cloth so she used paper towels. While paper towels do work, a cheese cloth is a better option if you have it.

]]>http://thehappyhousewife.com/cooking/zucchini-crust-pizza/feed/0Delicious Yogurt Mix-Inshttp://thehappyhousewife.com/cooking/delicious-yogurt-mix-ins/
http://thehappyhousewife.com/cooking/delicious-yogurt-mix-ins/#commentsThu, 22 Jan 2015 13:02:33 +0000http://thehappyhousewife.com/cooking/?p=26525My family loves yogurt. Since my children were little they’ve been eating it almost every day and my husband loves it too. It is one of our favorite go-to snacks that is portable and easy for my kids to get on their own.

This month we tried a Yulu, a delicious new yogurt. Lately my husband has been on a Greek yogurt kick, but after trying Yulu he’s quickly becoming a fan of this Aussie inspired yogurt. My kids literally said it was the best yogurt they’d ever had and were asking when I could buy more.

Yulu is smoothed twice for extra creaminess and contains real fruit. What it doesn’t contain is artificial flavors. It is available in vanilla bean, strawberry, blueberry, raspberry and honey.

Any yogurt endorsed by kids and guys is probably worth trying, don’t you think?

Yogurt makes a great snack, and can even be a quick meal when you mix in fruit, nuts or protein.

My daughter and husband both like a little crunch in their yogurt so they suggested granola or almonds, both of those were delicious.

My younger daughter loves bananas and thought the granola and bananas were the best combination.

The fresh blueberries were a also big hit and you can always substitute with frozen when they are out of season!

I thought toasted coconut and pineapple would be a great combination in the vanilla bean yogurt.

We also like to mix-in yogurt with our smoothies. The creaminess of yulu would make a delicious smoothie combined with your other favorite fruits and vegetables.

Hello Yulu… Good-bye Greek, our family has a new favorite yogurt. If you haven’t tried double smoothed, double delicious yulu yogurt find out where it is being sold near you and give it a try.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Yulu. The opinions and text are all mine.

If you’re looking for a delicious finger food for a crowd, these Baked Chicken Fries are the perfect hearty appetizer. With very few ingredients, it’s easier than you might think to make these delicious snacks.

Serve them at the big game or as an appetizer at a dinner party. They’re delicious with a side of ranch and veggies or spicy hot wing sauce.